First Songs

First Songs
Studio album by Gwyneth Herbert and Will Rutter
Released	27 October 2003[1]
Studio	Cowshed Recording Studio, London
Genre	Jazz
Length	53 minutes
Label	Dean Street Records (CD: DNSTCD2002); Universal Music Classics & Jazz (CD/LP: 9866620)
Producer	Ian Shaw
Gwyneth Herbert and Will Rutter chronology
First Songs (2003) Bittersweet and Blue (2004)

First Songs, initially credited to "Gwyn and Will",[2] is the debut album of British singer-songwriter Gwyneth Herbert and composer and acoustic guitarist Will Rutter.[3] Comprising both original songs and standards, it was launched at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club in September 2003.[4] The Herbert/Rutter song "Sweet Insomnia" featured guest vocals from Jamie Cullum.[3]

Reception

Described by BBC Music as a "lovingly crafted debut",[5] the album received a significant amount of radio airplay on Jazz FM and BBC Radio 2, and was promoted by Michael Parkinson.[3][6]

Writing in The Sunday Times, reviewer Clive Davis said: "If Gwyneth Herbert is not a star before long, I will eat my CD player. The sultry young singer’s partnership with guitarist Will Rutter has caused a stir on London's club circuit, and their debut album — artfully produced and arranged by vocalist Ian Shaw — lives up to that promise, blending pop and jazz values".[2]

Track listing

No	Title	Lyrics and music	Length
1	"Little Red Rooster"	Willie Dixon	2:41
2	"Maybe Me"	Gwyneth Herbert and Will Rutter	3:10
3	"Beguiling Eyes"	Stephen Fearing	4:13
4	"My Thief"	Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello	4:06
5	"I Was Doin' Alright"	George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin	2:59
6	"It's Getting Better"	Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil	3:38
7	"Sweet Insomnia"	Gwyneth Herbert and Will Rutter	3:39
8	"Calling You"	Bob Telson	5:04
9	"No Other Love"	Gwyneth Herbert and Will Rutter	3:38
10	"Trains & Boats & Planes"	Burt Bacharach and Hal David	3:55
11	"Don't Worry About Me"	Ted Koehler and Rube Bloom	3:58
12	"There'll Be Some Changes Made"	Benton Overstreet and Billy Higgins	3:09
13	"The Ballad of the Sad Young Men"	Frances Landesman	5:02
14	"Beguiling Eyes" (FM Mix)	Stephen Fearing	4:24	Total length = 53 minutes

Personnel

• Gwyneth Herbert – vocals
• Will Rutter – guitar
• Mark Hodgson – bass
• Tom Mason – bass
• Andy Nice – cello
• Josefina Cupido – drums and percussion
• Ben Godfrey – trumpet
• Guy Barker – trumpet
• Jamie Cullum – vocals
• Ian Shaw – keyboards and percussion[7]

Production

The album was produced by Ian Shaw, who arranged all the songs (except "No Other Love", which was arranged by Will Rutter).[7] It was recorded by Joe Leach at the Cowshed Recording Studio, London between June and September 2003.[7]

References

1. "Gwyneth Herbert & Will Rutter: First Songs". The Elvis Costello Wiki. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
2. Clive Davis (2 November 2003). "Jazz: New Releases: Gwyn & Will: First Songs". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
3. Jack Foley (2003). "Gwyneth Herbert – I suppose for as long as I can remember, singing's always been my complete passion". IndieLondon. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
4. John Fordham (25 September 2003). "Gwyn Herbert/ Will Rutter". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
5. Kathryn Shackleton (2004). "Gwyn and Will First Songs Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
6. Rebecca Grundy (Spring 2008). "So what exactly lies between Gwyneth Herbert and her wardrobe?". Durham First. No. 24. University of Durham. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
7. Album sleeve notes

External links

• Gwyneth Herbert: official website